Voltage regulator is contained in the alternator. 6 volt starter works well on 12 volts. You will need to change the 6 volt light bulbs to 12 volts. 6 volt switches work well on a 12 volt system, no need to change.

Edit: You need to throw in the price of 2 or 3 additional 12 volt batteries in my estimated longevity for the 12 volt conversion.

I would not bother to convert unless the generator needed a major rebuild, in which case the alternator would be "free". The other reason for converting would be the need to run a electric sprayer pump or some other similar electrical accessory. I am putting an alternator on my 1950 Cub mainly because I had no generator at all. I went with a very compact 3-wire alternator (I have a stock Delco on my '77), because my mag was corroded on the inside and I had a spare distributor. It was only $40 for the alternator, but I did benefit from some freebie labor to machine the pulley for the standard belt width on a Cub. I went through my '74 last winter and did a major service on it and installed a Pertronix. The big benefit is that the tractor timing is not subject to wear of the rubbing block on the points. A guy I met buying something on Craig's List pointed me towards a Chrysler 40,000 volt coil that he uses on Cub ignitions. It is cheap and makes a nice upgrade to either points or electronic ignitions. I'll give him a call and get all the right specs.

I have started my 6 volt Cub in the dead of winter. Starter barely spinning the engine, but it fired right up. If you have it tuned and have decent compression, 6 volt works just fine until something breaks. Then it is more expensive to repair. Not saying this is not a nice upgrade, it is just not the place I would sink my first buck into the tractor unless everything else was in good shape.

Voltage regulator is contained in the alternator. 6 volt starter works well on 12 volts. You will need to change the 6 volt light bulbs to 12 volts. 6 volt switches work well on a 12 volt system, no need to change.

Edit: You need to throw in the price of 2 or 3 additional 12 volt batteries in my estimated longevity for the 12 volt conversion.

Can't argue with what Eugene is saying about that price, but Autozone has a single wire GM alternator right now for $39.00. Pertronx ignition $92.00. Coil $20.00 or so. Not sure what mod you will have to make to the gen bracket if any. But should be doable in my opinion for $150.00 or so. But, you can still buy a lot of points for that much money. My post above was just for one tractor. I, personally feel, the quality of the points that I am buying is nowhere close to where they used to be. One other thing is the regulator. I just bought a 12 volt regulator for a Sears Suburban SS12 that I am restoring from NAPA, and it cost $63.00. A well maintained point system as good as they come, but for me it works better to install the electronic ignition and forget about it.

Chinese tungsten used for points does not seem to be as commercially pure as what we have been accustomed to. This can cause pitting, but some is normal. Condensers also make a difference. If material is transferring and building up on one side or the other, the condenser is at fault. The condenser is a capacitor that stores electricity. When the contacts break, the condenser sucks up current to minimize arcing at the points and allow for a clean, and accurate, break. Arcing changes the timing a bit, plus it causes the point contacts to build up material, making the gap inaccurate. All this gets eliminated by a magnetic pick up like Pertronix uses.

Last edited by bob in CT on Fri Oct 16, 2015 9:07 am, edited 1 time in total.

Gary Orr wrote:I'm just ragging on you. There all good till they break.

Lord I know that. I am one of the people who loves to find something old and broke and make it shiny and new. This tractor actually belongs to my mother in law, and myself. My father in law was murdered in 1989 and she would not let any one touch his tractor for almost 20 years. She decided one day she would let me work on it to see if it would run, and now we use it all the time. Haven't owned a Cub in 25 years, but I loved that little tractor. I'm looking, and will find the right one soon.

I started on a '48 Cub that hadn't been touched in over 20 years. Everything was shot. The decision to go to 12V was easy at that point. The decision to jump up to the electronic ignition was another level of consideration which my Dad pushed me to. I'm so glad I went with the electronic ignition. I have NEVER (knock on wood) had to work on my Cub in order to start it.

Had a conversation just last night with a classic car guy. He swears by the points. Claims that they're cheap and easy to find. And of course I pointed out to him that the electronic ignition doesn't need any points at all. Therefore it does not matter how cheap or available they are, because you don't need them.

I know when I get my cub I will try the points and see how it holds up. But in the long haul it will get a electronic ignition if things don't work out. I love to tinker with stuff, but the equipment I use I want it to go putt, putt when I need it. Now I have got to head out to the pasture and see if this planter I found is worth salvaging. It looks like it is twice my 64 years old, and half as wore out as I am. May not be worth the effort.